


The Less You Reveal

by mylifeismediocre



Category: Emmerdale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 04:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14036124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeismediocre/pseuds/mylifeismediocre
Summary: She’d always been an enigma. Like she promised herself to keep secrets, secrets she told herself. Her past was never spoken about, she never went into any depth, just acted like the way she was brought up was ‘normal’.





	1. Part 1

She’d always been an enigma. Like she promised herself to keep secrets, secrets she told herself. Her past was never spoken about, she never went into any depth, just acted like the way she was brought up was ‘normal’. She had to grow up quickly, there was no lie within that. She could look after herself from the minute she started primary school. Cooking, cleaning, and looking after her mum who was always knocked out from the overdoses of painkiller. No dad to watch over her, to reassure her that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, she believed that this was as far as she’d ever go. A full time carer for a parent who would leave if she was able to, everyone left eventually. Everyone gave up on her, leaving her to fend for herself in a world that labelled her as ‘troubled’. She couldn’t remember a time when her heart wasn’t broken, when tears never fell, when she didn’t hurt.

She felt foolish the minute her dad walked back into her life, or she walked into his after she’d come face to face with her brother who left before she could beg him to take her as well. A dad who used her, manipulated her, brainwashed her in a way where she’d have trust issues for the rest of her life. Letting down an abuse victim, a rape victim, her brother, something she could never live down, despite the amount of times he’d forgiven her, reassured her that it wasn’t her fault, that she shouldn’t blame herself. She still did. She’d never stop.

Living full time with her brother, and his husband, finally felt like she had a family, like she belonged. For the first time she felt loved, and wanted. It was nice for people to not expect her to cook, and clean, and shop. It was nice to feel that she wasn’t just there because she was needed. But because Aaron couldn’t live without her, Robert couldn’t either. And she wished she could say the same for them, that she couldn’t live without either of them, but that was far from the truth. She could survive on her own. She could get through the days one by one somehow. 

When mother’s day rolled around, she’d never felt more isolated. Chas had invited them to the pub for a big Sunday roast, but how could she turn up to a big family event when her mum wasn’t there? When she wasn’t even a part of their family? Sure, Robert’s mum wasn’t around but at least he knew she loved him and that she didn’t die hating him. There was always comfort in that, but when people choose to leave you, that’s entirely different.

“Liv, hurry up, we’re going to be late.” Aaron had called for her, ready to leave with a bunch of flowers, and some chocolate, to celebrate with his mum.

“I’m not going, Aaron. I promised mum I’d facetime her.” She’d called back, listening as the door shut behind him and Robert, leaving her alone. She hadn’t promised her mum anything, she hadn’t even heard from her since the day she made her way back to Aaron. Liv always lied though, not wanting people to worry, convincing them all that she always spoke to her mum. But all those calls and texts were left ignored, like Sandra had shunned her after she chose to stay with her brother. Only ever calling when she needed something, usually money, or more painkillers. It was hard, but she’d never let anyone know. Just kept putting on a brave face for the sake of Aaron’s mental health.

Liv knew they’d be gone a long time. No Dingle gathering was over and done with within an hour. Usually ended up becoming the whole day, and then some. She had accepted that Aaron’s family wanted her, but to her that was truly because they had no other choice. They took her, and asked her about school, inviting her to the pub every so often for dinner, but she knew that all she’d ever appear to them was the daughter of the man who raped Aaron. She couldn’t blame them, because that’s what she was. If he’d never come clean about the rape, Aaron would never had found her, taken her in. He probably wouldn’t have bothered looking for her. And that hurt her. That was another reminder of how unwanted she was.

Aaron and Robert had been gone for over 6 hours, and Liv couldn’t stand the silence within the mill. It was becoming deafening. So grabbing her coat off the hook by the door, she left. She didn’t quite know where she was going, she just kept walking and walking. The sun was setting and the darkness was coming over her, but she didn’t care. She needed the space. Needed the freedom. Needed the time to herself without being in a place that was a constant reminder of being the outcast of the family. Being the embarrassment. 

She was way out of the village by now, hadn’t even checked the time, and halfway into Hotten. It was at that minute, that she realised she’d left her phone at home. Home. She wished that’s what it felt like. But the only sense of belonging she’d ever experienced was whenever Aaron put his arms around her. His chin atop her head, a hand in her hair, pulling her to him, and an arm across her back, never letting her go until she went to step back. Sandra had never hugged her like that, and Liv even struggled remembering the last time her mum actually embraced her. Put her arms around her, reassuring her that everything would be okay. Liv had been shocked when Aaron had reassured her like that. She only ever saw that in books and in the movies, but never in real life. She was grateful to him, forever in his debt, but she knew he had never really wanted her. He’d never gone looking until he needed something, just like her mum, and just like her dad. 

And then she was pulled from her thoughts, at the sound of wolf whistling, cat calling, realising she was in the dodgy end of town. She watched as a man had crossed the road, heading in her direction, calling her ‘darling’, and asking her where she was going. She didn’t reply, just tried to keep her head down, wishing he would disappear, but it was never that easy, not in her life. So when she had felt him lift her head up, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, she had just let him. It was dangerous. It was reckless. But she’d been neglected so much in her life that she’d begun to neglect herself. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt affection. Not like that. And although it was dangerous, she took his hand and let him drag her back to his place. Just because she could. Just because she wanted to.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Right, we better get off.” Aaron announced, a defeated sigh coming from his family, making him chuckle, waiting for Robert to join him.

“Oh, son, thank you for my flowers, and the chocolates. How did you know they were my favourite?” Chas had asked with a smile, placing her hands on his cheeks, kissing his forehead, before licking her finger, and wiping the lipstick from his skin, laughing as he groaned with disgust, begging her to stop.

“I’m not totally useless. I remember these things.” He had exclaimed, grinning as she raised her eyebrows. “Okay, Robert had remembered.”

“Thought so.” She said, smiling at Robert, who shook his head, embarrassed that Aaron had let that secret slip so easily, reaching for his hand, making their way to the door. “Give Liv a big cuddle from me.” Chas had shouted, smiling at the ‘I will’ the boys shouted in unison, happy that her son had the family he deserved.

It was way past 10pm by the time they’d pushed the front door open, locking it behind them, calling for Liv to let her know they were home.

“I mean, she could’ve come down and switched the lights on, and shut the blinds in the process.” Robert joked, putting his jacket over the back of one of the chairs in the kitchen, before pressing a soft kiss to his husband’s lips.

“I’ll go check on her, she might be asleep.” And with that, Aaron made his way up the stairs, knocking on his sister’s bedroom door, smiling when he heard no reply, opening the door to check she was asleep. Except she wasn’t. She wasn’t in her bed, and she wasn’t in her room. “Liv?” He shouted, wondering if she was in the master bedroom’s ensuite, knowing she was too lazy to make her way downstairs to the toilet. But no reply came, and checking in his room, the bathroom door was open, no one inside. Making his way downstairs, he pulled his phone out, pressing her number in, wondering if she’d gone to meet Gabby. But the sound of her ringtone within the house confused him. She never left the house without her phone. Ever. From the bottom of the staircase, he noticed Liv’s phone on the coffee table, his number and face flashing across the screen.

“Was she asleep?” Robert had asked from his place at the kitchen table, where he was finishing off some paperwork that he needed for the next morning. His voice had made his husband jump, ending the call on the phone, joining Robert at the kitchen table.

“She’s not home, and she’s left her phone. I’m just a little worried, that’s all.” Aaron said softly, letting his hand be engulfed by his husband.

“I’m sure she’s fine, this is Liv. She’ll probably be home soon.”

“I know, just haven’t seen much of her today. Was hoping the three of us could watch that film we downloaded the other night, a bit of family time. Our family time.” Robert noticed the shake in Aaron’s voice as he spoke. He could see how worried he was for his sister. He was worried too, but hated being the one to take away any bit of hope his husband clearly had left. They just smiled sadly at each other, recognising the unspoken rule of waiting up until she was home. Until she was safe inside with them, where she belonged.

The sound of a text tone coming from Liv’s phone pulled them both out of their worried thoughts, Robert standing up, being the fatherly figure he was, making his way towards to phone, picking it up reading the text that had appeared across the lock screen.

From: unknown number

Tonight was fun, save my number, we should do it again.

Aaron watched his husband’s face fall, watching him become overcome with worry, completely out of character. He stepped closer, reaching for the phone and reading the message for himself. He was shocked. Confused. Liv never just went out and made new friends within the blink of an eye. Never handed out her number. She asked for theirs, not the other way around. And maybe he was being paranoid, reading too much into this, but Robert’s voice cut off his train of thought.

“Do you know what her passcode is? 4 numbers?”

“Try 1602. It’s usually someone’s birthday, I don’t know if it’s Liv’s, but worth a shot.”

“No, it’s incorrect.”

“Well try 2002.”

And then they were in. Clicking on the text message, ready to reply.

Who is this?

Robert had just put, waiting eagerly for a response, Aaron’s eyes watching from over his husband’s shoulder.

It’s Tyler. We literally just slept together. You don’t waste any time, do you?

And suddenly, the phone was ripped from Robert’s hands, and Aaron chucked it as hard as he could at the opposite wall, watching the glass screen shatter to pieces, shaking off the comforting hand his husband had put on his shoulder. She was 16. He knew it was going to happen at some point, but he didn’t think it would make him as angry as it did. It made him want her home, so he could wrap her up in bubble wrap, and protect her for the rest of her life. He couldn’t help being protective. Couldn’t help wanting to keep her in his sight for the rest of time. 

“We don’t know the full story.” Robert tried to reassure him, but nothing could stop the anger bubbling up inside of him.

“There’s not really much of a story to tell, Rob. I just want her home.”

“I’ll ring Sandra, see if Liv mentioned about going anywhere, it’s a good place to start.”

Aaron just nodded. There was nothing they could do for the time being. Just had to wait for her to walk through the front door. But whoever this Tyler was, Aaron knew he wanted to kill him, for putting his hands on his little sister. For even thinking about her. It was in that moment, that he realised how much he loved Liv. How much he wanted her to be near him. Don’t get him wrong, he’d always loved her. Had never stopped from the day he left when she was only little. But he always thought she was holding back. Like there was so much she kept to herself that he wanted to know. He wanted to know all the ins and outs of her brain, reassure her through all her fears, celebrate her highs, and be there for her lows. He asked her what she was thinking all the time, made sure she knew he was always there, whether she wanted to share her deepest, darkest secrets, or if she just wanted a hug. But all she ever replied was ‘nothing’.

“Apparently Sandra hasn’t spoken to Liv tonight. Hasn’t even spoken to her since she left her in Dublin with Chas, to come back here,” Robert announced, making his way over to the sofa, where Aaron had subconsciously sat down, head in his hands, leg bouncing, and tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Robert put his arm around his husband, pulling him into him, placing a kiss on his forehead, trying to tell himself that Liv was okay, but even he was worried. He wanted to hunt this boy down, and slam his head into a wall. Scream at him for letting Liv into his bed. And he knows it takes two, but right now, all he wanted to do was make sure his sister-in-law, fuck, his sister, was okay.

“So she’s been lying to us.” Aaron croaked out, letting his hands fall from his face, looking up at his husband, his best friend, hoping that there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes that he could latch onto, but anyone could tell Robert was hopeless.

“I wouldn’t go that far. Just keeping things to herself.” 

“We’re her family, she should feel safe enough to open up to us, let us know what’s going on.”

“But she’s not like that.” Aaron hated to admit that Robert was right. 

“She could be anywhere. It’s half 10, and its cold, and she’s got no phone. If you were Liv, where would you go?” Aaron asked.

“If I were Liv, I’d just keep walking, not knowing where I was going. And somehow end up in Hotten.” Robert could always hit the nail on the head. He knew people. He took time to notice all the little things someone would do. He used to do it to use it against people, but since changing into the man he is today, he uses it to show love. Just like how he had remembered Chas’s favourite chocolate. Aaron should know that, she’s his mum, but Robert just picks up on things easier, and it was one of the major attractions that drew Aaron to him in the first place. Just like how he’d let Alex ace Aaron’s Christmas and birthday presents.

“Well then we’ll get in the car and just drive.” Aaron announced, shoving his coat on, and dangling the car keys in front of Robert’s face, letting his husband grab them, as the two jumped into the car, speeding off towards the city.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liv couldn’t believe what she’d done. Slept with a complete stranger, and was now sat in the cold outside his flat, letting him kick her out before his girlfriend got home. She was reckless. She didn’t care about herself. Every person that walked by, she eyed, hoping one of them would take her home, or even better, kill her. She didn’t know why she was thinking this way, but maybe mother’s day just remained a reminder of something she didn’t have. All the faces along the pavement somehow morphed into Gordon, or her mum, waiting for them to yell at her, and get inside her head, telling her what to do. It was scaring her, like the whole world knew who she was and enjoyed watching her suffer.

A car pulled up in front of her, a red mini cooper, and an attractive girl got out of it. Couldn’t be any older than 18, but even Liv couldn’t deny she was someone boys dreamed about. Black skinny jeans, the ones with rips in the knees, a lacy black crop top, and bright red converse. It was like looking at a movie star, looking at pure confidence. The girl just raised her eyebrows at Liv, unlocking the door of the flat she had just been kicked out of, wondering why this stranger slept with her, when his girlfriend looked like that. It reminded the teen of who she’d never be. No one would crush on her, or fall for her, wanting to be with her for the rest of their lives. Instead, she’d just be the girl that people slept with when it was convenient for them. And Liv didn’t know why that bothered her so much. She had commitment issues, so surely she’s only doing what’s best, but she couldn’t help but wish someone looked at her the way her brother looked at Robert.

Standing up from her place on the pavement, she began walking again, glancing at herself in shop windows, not even recognising herself. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were ripped, and her eyes looked dull, like there was no one behind them. Like she was empty. Nothing much to her. It was at that moment, she realised how much she’d let herself go. She was skinny, not that she wasn’t anyway, but like she’d been neglected, like she hadn’t been fed for weeks. She was pale, cold to the touch, bruises covering the exposed skin, sensitive to the touch. She looked horrible, but she didn’t seem to care.

Liv hadn’t even noticed the rain falling. Not felt the cold drops dance across her skin, or the water that had clung to her eyelashes. Her hair was flat to her head, her clothes stuck to her skin, and she swore she left with a jacket. She must’ve left it at that flat, wondering if the girlfriend had noticed, wondering if a fight had occurred, wondering if either of them really cared. There was a group of people up ahead, standing underneath covers over tables outside a pub. Pints in everyone’s hands, cigarettes and cigars in others, the smell of the smoke taking over the street, laughs that could be heard for miles, echoing in the distance. Chas had told her about this pub, how dodgy it was, and to never go there, especially alone, but Liv had stopped caring about her wellbeing years ago. Walking past it didn’t scare her, didn’t worry her, didn’t stop her. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder, spinning herself around to see who it belonged to. An older man, dark eyes, grey hair, a cold exterior. 

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing out here alone?” He asked, a hand on her cheek, that she couldn’t help but fall into, a soft smile across her face, letting his other hand thread his fingers through her hair, and then she was on the floor. He’d punched her, voices around her laughing, a kick to her ribs, a kick to her legs, a kick to her head, and suddenly she felt at peace. Letting these people break her was better than breaking herself. She was a coward, but she didn’t care. 

It stopped hurting after a while, and the people were slowly disappearing, leaving her to lay on the cold pavement, bleeding, black and blue, letting the rain swallow her whole. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aaron and Robert were just driving round in circles, making their way down every Hotten backstreet, letting their eyes drift down every alley way. There was hardly anyone around, being almost midnight on a Sunday, mother’s day. Most people were at home, or in restaurants, or pubs, carrying on the celebrations. Anyone they did pass were accompanied by their entire family.

“We’re never going to find her.” Aaron stated, not wanting to give up, but not wanting to hold onto the hope that wasn’t there. “She might be back home by now, wondering why we’re not there.”

Robert was clearly ignoring him, not looking at him, eyes drifting over to the pavement, a few yards ahead.

“Robert, just turn around. Stop ignoring me.”

“Aaron, there’s someone laying on the pavement up there, what if that’s Liv?”

Aaron’s eyes drifted, eyes on the figure on the pavement, getting a better look as Robert got closer, driving slower.

“Stop the car, that’s her.” He was about before Robert’s foot had even tapped the break, door swinging open, calling his sister’s name, dropping beside her, letting Robert do the same. She was bruised, she was bleeding, she was cold, her hair was a mess, her clothes were ripped, and she wasn’t conscious. Aaron didn’t even notice his husband ringing for an ambulance, eyes too busy analysing his sister, taking in every inch of her broken body, pleading for her to be okay, and promising to kill whoever touched her. 

Robert put his phone back in his pocket, shrugging off his jacket and placing it over the teen, gently rubbing her skin to warm her up. If he wasn’t worried before, he was worried now. He’d had nightmares like this, finding Liv dead in a gutter somewhere, or getting a call saying someone had found her body. He never expected for it to become true.

“Do you think it’ll hurt her if I pull her into my lap, try and warm her up?” Aaron’s broken voice asked, tears mixing in with the rain, stroking his sister’s face, pressing his lips to her forehead every now and then, wanting nothing more than to bundle her up in his arms and take her home.

"It’s probably best not to move her, in case she’s got any serious injuries.” Robert was right, but it broke Aaron’s heart never the less.

“Who would hurt a 16 year old girl on her own? If I find out it’s that guy that texted her, we’re tracking his number and going to kill him.”

Robert just nodded, anger building up inside him, knowing people should know better than to hurt his baby sister. Did I just call her my baby sister? Who cares, she IS my baby sister. His hands joining Aaron’s, stroking her hair away from her face, soft kisses to her forehead, tears of his own falling from his eyes, no longer caring about his pride. He watched Aaron shrug off his hoodie, rolling it up, gently lifting her head up to place it under her, letting her relax against it, before reaching for her hand, and bringing it up to his mouth, leaving a kiss in her palm, never letting ago.

And then her eyes begun to twitch, like they were going to open, like she was awake, a move not gone unnoticed.

“Liv? Can you hear me?” Robert asked her softly. “Just open your eyes and look at me, you’re safe, we’ve got you.” The two men couldn’t stop their tears as they were met with the familiar sight of her blue eyes looking up at them.

“Hey.” Aaron croaked out, a soft smile appearing across his features, a hand resting atop her head, stopping the wind from blowing her hair into her face, blocking their view of her eyes.

Liv’s eyes looked dark. No longer a sparkle in them, a light no longer behind them, no warmth overtaking them. She looked empty, she looked broken. But it was enough. She was looking up at their smiling faces, a little smile trying to creep its way through her mouth, only appearing for a split second before it was gone.

“Happy to see us?” Robert laughed softly, something flickering through her eyes as he did. He placed his hand on her cheek, feeling reassured as she pressed her face against it, clearly noticing the familiar smell of home. Aaron had never felt so relieved in his life, looking down at his baby sister, watching her recognise them, watching the lights inside switch back on. And then her eyes tried to slide shut.

“Keep your eyes open, okay? Keep looking at the massive spot appearing on my forehead.” Aaron jokingly announced, watching as her eyes drifting to the spot, a quiet laugh escaping her lips, followed by a quiet groan of pain, breaking both her brother’s hearts, just as the sound of sirens could be heard, getting closer and closer.

“You’re going to be okay. We’re going to look after you.” Robert whispered, before him and his husband were asked to step back as paramedics began to examine her.

The couple put their arms around each other’s shoulders, relief flooding their systems, eyes never drifting far from the scene in front of them.

Broken ribs.

Severe concussion.

Hypothermia? 

“Liv, has anyone touched you?” A female paramedic asked her.

“Yes.” The first word to escape her lips since she’d been found.

“Did you want them to touch you?”

“I don’t know. I just let them drag me home.”

The paramedics looked up at Aaron and Robert, eyes full of sympathy.

“We’ll take her to the hospital, we’ve got to keep working on her, so I don’t think we’ll have room for visitors. We also need to get a hold of the police. Do you two have a way of getting to Hotten General?” Someone asked, the boys watching as Liv was lifted onto a stretcher, a cry of pain escaping her lips, before slowly being wheeled into the back of the ambulance. They nodded, watching the doors shut, Liv now out of sight, the ambulance speeding off towards the hospital.

“We found her.” Aaron breathed, resting against Robert whose arms wrapped around him.

“We found her.”


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this after a few people wished for me to continue! Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad you enjoy what I'm writing!

The ambulance journey had been a blur. Lights investigating her eyes, being yelled out for closing them, a needle pricked her finger, and a needle in the crook of her arm hooking her up to some drug that Liv couldn’t remember the name of. Why hadn’t they just left her there on the pavement? Why hadn’t they just left her to die? Why did someone always stop her? Every paramedic, she wanted to punch, fight her way out the back of the van, only then realising how weak she was. Lifting her arm slightly was hard enough, a punch was impossible. She wondered if Aaron and Robert would meet her at the hospital, she hoped they wouldn’t. That somewhere down the line, all of these people would forget about her, and leave her the freedom of doing whatever she wanted to her body. 

“Can you tell me what the date is?” Someone had asked, subconsciously rolling her eyes, feeling like she was on some hospital TV programme.

“2018.” They smiled at her as she replied. Like she’d won a Nobel Prize for remembering what year it was. Like they wanted to shake her hand and take photographs with her. Like remembering the year was the hardest challenge anyone would have to face. It was frustrating. It made her want to rip her hair out, and slam her head against the wall, hoping this entire situation was something she was dreaming, still passed out on the pavement, but the feeling of needles entering her body was enough to reassure her she wasn’t.

Liv gave up caring. Just let her eyes shut, ignoring the shouts, begging her to open them again, to keep her talking. She was tired of this. Wanting nothing more than for this to be over, nothing more than to be a stranger merely forgotten about, that once had a trip in this ambulance. It was claustrophobic. Too many people. She’d counted 3 paramedics when her eyes were open, and although that doesn’t sound like much, within the walls of the van, it was. 

She felt the ambulance come to a stop, heard the driver get out, probably going to sign her in, whilst the paramedics within the van unlocked the door, pushed the ramp down to keep her sturdy. They all exited, waiting for reassurance from the reception desk inside that there was room for her. The rain had stopped, she could no longer hear it falling, could just hear the voices of people coming and going from the hospital. Some ecstatic with good news, some overcome with sadness, reminding Liv that there were billions of people in this world, why did they want to save her so badly? Why couldn’t they save the woman who had died in a car crash earlier that week? Something the paper had discussed. She’d heard Robert mention it at breakfast the other morning, paper in one hand, Seb in the other, eyes looking up at her, a smile forming, the same smile he gave her brother.

She’d grown to adore Seb. Before, all she saw was a reminder of her brother’s heartbreak, Rebecca, a family Rob didn’t want her to be a part of. But after slowly feeling unwanted herself, a constant reminder of Gordon, she realised that none of that was on Seb’s shoulders. He was a baby, a happy one at that, someone who didn’t care what others thought because he didn’t know any better. She never wanted him to grow up, never wanted him to be faced with the difficult realities of real life. But, at least, from the minute he was born, he was loved and wanted. She wished she was familiar with that feeling.

Liv heard familiar voices as she waited in the ambulance, recognised them as her brother’s and Robert’s, who were talking to the paramedics still waiting for the head’s up, after finally getting her somewhat stable. All of their voices were laced with concern, all sounded worried about her, protective. She hated it. Wished they’d all just forget she was there, so she could sneak out. But her eyes were still shut, and despite her ideology, something she truly did want was a hug from her big brother, with all the reassuring words being whispered into her ear, so that for one, singular moment, there was faith in her heart again, hope in her mind, light in her eyes. 

She felt herself be wheeled out of the warm vehicle and into the cold March air, goose bumps appearing on every little bit of skin exposed. She kept hearing her brother’s say her name, gripping her hands, and the rail on the side of her bed, begging her to open her eyes like they had an hour previously. Why did all these people want her to open her eyes so bad? What was so important?

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to wait here.” She heard a paramedic say, Aaron and Robert pleading to stay with her, stay within their reach, so they could touch her to reassure them she was still there. 

“We’ll come out and get you when she’s stable.” Stable? She thought she was stable. Just a few bruises here and there, some blood, a bit of a headache. She was fine, why was there a fuss still being made? Why did no one just let her go home? Being wheeled around the hallways was making her feel sick, not knowing where she was going, not knowing where she was, and then she felt a needle in the back of her hand, and all of a sudden, her systems began shutting down, no longer space to think, just simply space to sleep.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waiting rooms were places of hopelessness. Places you see in films, where people are told their loved ones had died. Aaron and Robert were alone within the small room, but stayed close to each other, hands clasping the other’s, Robert’s head leaning gently on Aaron’s shoulder, eyes trained to door, waiting for someone to lead them to Liv, reassure them that she was okay and that they could take her home, wrap her up in blankets and never letting her leave their sight again, not caring how over the top that sounded.

They both thought about calling their families. Robert wanted nothing more than to cry his heart out to Vic, who’d also cry on the other end of the line, no doubt. And Aaron, he wanted Chas to just be there, hold the hand Robert wasn’t holding, see Liv as her daughter, not just someone Aaron had forced to become a part of his family. And he knew his mum absolutely adored Liv, it was impossible to not love her like she loved Aaron. The 2 siblings were too similar for their own good. And so many people pointed that out to them, and Aaron had to smile when he thought of how defensive Liv had got when she claimed she was absolutely nothing like him, a hint of laughter in her voice. He remembered wrapping his arms around her, feeling so happy, but all of that was gone now. Since she’d been taken out of their reach, out of their vision, it felt like a piece of him was missing. A feeling he hoped he’d never feel again.

“Mr Dingle, Mr Sugden.” A voice pulled them both from their thoughts as a nurse sat down in front of them, their little sister’s medical file in her hands, a look of hope and sadness in her eyes, not letting them know if they were about to be reassured or ripped apart. They both sat up straighter, remaining hand in hand, before asking her how Liv was doing.

“I’ve just come to ask if you’d sign this form, allowing us to operate.”

“Operate?” Robert thought, not even realising he’d questioned the nurse’s intentions out loud.

“Where one of her ribs have broken, it’s pushing onto her lung, and if we don’t work fast enough, it may block her airways, and even affect her heart. It’s a simple surgery, one we perform regularly, just to move the rib, and secure it so it’s no longer putting pressure on her vital organs.”

Aaron just signed the clipboard, desperate for this whole situation to be over and done with, watching the nurse leave the room, his teary eyes looking up at Robert. Hands squeezing tight, reassuring both of them the other was still there, the other was still safe. Still alive.

The room was grim, this depressing space they’d been forced to wait in. The paint was that, not blue but, green. Posters plastering the wall, telling people to quit smoking, and that antibiotics won’t cure toothache. Smiling families looking back at them, obviously there to give the people waiting, hope. It didn’t, just reminded Aaron and Robert of something they’d never have. Cursing themselves for not keeping Liv close to them, wishing they hadn’t given her so much freedom.

The clock was ticking, and it was in that moment, the boys realised they’d been sitting there for hours. It was nearly 4am, having found the teen about half elevenish; maybe even midnight. They'd been sat there for 4 hours, saying silent prayers, touching the other gently to make sure they were still there. And then the door opened, and a man walked in, sitting opposite them the way the nurse had, a few hours previously.

“Olivia’s out of surgery, it went very well, so she should be on the mend. We do want to keep her in over the course of the day, to keep an eye on her, making sure she’s breathing okay, but she will be a little sore. We’ve put her on antibiotics, as well as a vitamin drip to keep her levels up. So we’re just moving her into a room, and then you can see her. The police are outside, wondering if they can have a quick word.”

Sighs of relief escaping their mouths, just nodding, waiting for the police, wanting them to find whoever got Liv in this state. Just repeating to themselves that she was okay, and safe, and that at some point tonight, they could take her home, get Liv her favourite takeaway, and watch that movie they’d downloaded. Have a bit of family time. Their family time.

Two policeman entered the room, both tall and muscular, in their pretentious uniforms, a soft, sympathetic smile on their faces as they introduced themselves. Aaron and Robert just nodded in acknowledgement, happy to oblige to whatever they asked, desperate for them to be reassured Liv was safe.

“We’ve spoken to the landlord of the pub Olivia-“

“Liv.” Aaron advised.

“Sorry. We’ve spoken to the landlord of the pub Liv was found outside of, and they kindly let us review the exterior CCTV, and a fight did break out outside, and Liv’s attacker was clear enough for us to conclude who he was, and we do have him in custody.”

Aaron and Robert smiled, happy that justice had been ‘served’, they guessed. Happy that the person who hurt their sister, their little girl, was caught, hoping he was suffering within the police station walls, hoping he gets charged.

“However.” The smiles disappeared from their faces when the other policeman began to speak.

“Although this man initially started the fight, a lot of the outside customers did eventually join in. So despite swinging the first punch, and being the first kick, we reckon about 15 people were involved entirely, and when Liv is up to it, we would really appreciate if you brought her down to the station to identify some of these people.”

15 people. 15 people were responsible for Liv being left for dead on the side of the road. 15 people against one 16 year old girl, on her own, just minding her own business. Aaron and Robert almost wanted to see the footage, their fears being confirmed, but they knew they wouldn’t be able to contain their anger if they did. It was insane. A simple Sunday night just ripped away from them, wishing they could murder every single person who had ever put their hands on Liv, take her home, never let her outside again, keep her safe within the walls of the mill, where she belonged. Where they could keep an eye on her. Let her watch the shit TV programmes she enjoyed, make her milkshakes, and order pizza. And remind her how loved she was, remind her how much they wanted her there with them. That she wasn’t someone who got in the way, but someone their lives revolved around. Someone for them to worry about, and raise, and teach her the ins and outs of the world.

“Thank you.” The boy’s breathed out in unison, smiling briefly at the officer’s, watching them leave the room, before standing up themselves, wrapping their arms around each other, crying into the other’s shoulder, pressing small kisses against them, just letting all the emotions inside of them flood out, letting all of them be revealed to the other, their very own safe place. Stripped back and open.

They watched the doctor step back in, asking if they’d like to see her, if they’d like to see Liv again. They were out the door in seconds, being lead to her room, hands still clutching each other’s, eager to reach her in record speed time, pausing for a minute outside her door, catching the smallest glimpse of her through the window in the door, listening to the doctor explain that she wasn’t awake yet, not to worry about it, to let her come around in her own time. And then they were in. Just the three of them. In the first time in what felt like forever.

Liv looked small, and delicate, and broken. She looked almost unrecognisable, her face black and blue, her clothes discarded and replaced with a hospital gown, her name and NHS number on a white wristband wrapped tightly around her wrist. The sounds of the machines eventually drowned out, the two men just looking at her, frozen in their place at the end of her bed, still standing, despite the chairs either side of her. They both glanced up at the reading’s the screens were producing, finding comfort in her steady heartbeat. She had stitches above her left eyebrow, a bruise joining them on her forehead, an obvious black eye, and the perfectly cut lip, like the one’s people had in the movies.

They sat in the chairs, either side of her bed, just looking at her, taking all of her in, hands holding onto hers, placing kisses to her palms like they’d done when they’d found her. Looking at her sleeping form reminded them of how tired they were. The clock slowly creeping closer and closer to 5am, and with a silent nod to one another, they let their eyes close, hands still holding onto Liv, letting sleep overtake their consciousness.

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Aaron’s eyes opened when the sun began to beam down at him through the window opposite him, glancing up at the clock, seeing that it had clicked over to midday. He looked over at his husband, still asleep, still clutching onto Liv, a sight that warmed his heart. His eyes then fell upon his sister, still out of it, but looking a little more relaxed than when they were first reunited with her after the surgery. She still looked unrecognisable, still looked fragile and broken, but she was safe and alive, and Aaron let the negatives disappear from his mind, silently pledging that he wouldn’t stop until Liv was back to her usual self, wouldn’t stop until she was making witty comments, quick comebacks, blaming herself for things beyond her control. She was safe, she was on the mend, and she was in front of him, the most reassuring sight he could’ve asked for.

Robert’s eyes slowly drifted open, glancing across to his husband, a soft smile making its way across his features, looking over at his sister-in-law, standing up, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, sweeping away a few stray hairs of hers in the process, wanting a clear view of her, no obstruction getting in the way, something as delicate as a single hair. Aaron’s heart fluttered inside his chest, loving his husband more than ever, loving his sister more than ever, realising the sight in front of him could only ever be described as one thing. Home.

He hadn’t even recognised Robert making his way round to his side of the bed, pressing a gentle kiss to his hair, before letting his husband know he’d do the coffee run, and see if the café had anything they could have for breakfast, or lunch time now, considering it was past 12pm. Watching his husband disappear through the door, Aaron decided it was best to fill his mum in on the past 12 hours, knowing it would worry her, but feeling reassured she knew never the less. Pulling out his phone, clicking on her name in his contacts, he brought the phone to his ear, hearing the ring before he was greeted by her voice, a voice he’d always declare the cure of his anxiety, pulling him out from any of his destructive thoughts, and putting an end to his dangerous behaviours. 

“I’m at the hospital.” He eventually pushed out, after her asking what was wrong at least three times.

“What? Why? Are you okay? Have you hurt yourself?”

“No, it’s not me. It’s Liv. She gave us a bit of a fright last night when we got home.”

“What do you mean? Do you want me to get Charity to cover so I can come up?” It sounded like she was begging, but Aaron wanted his little sister to himself before he considered visitors.

“No, no, you don’t have to do that. She wasn’t in when we got back, had left her phone, so decided to go looking, found her unconscious outside that dodgy pub in Hotten. She was in a proper state.”

“I always tell her to never go there.” Chas had mumbled.

“I don’t think she intended to be there, just kept walking, and eventually got involved in a fight. The police said that around 15 people were involved, and want Liv to go down to the station to identify a few of them.”

“Oh my god. How’s she doing now though?”

“She did have surgery. One of her ribs was broken and affecting her breathing because of how it was positioned against her lung, wanted to sort it out before it began affecting her heart, but she’s stable, still asleep.”

“Let me know if anything changes, if you want me to bring anything to the hospit-“

She paused after hearing Aaron gasp at the end of the phone.

“Sorry mum, I’ve got to go. She’s waking up.” And then he cut the call off, pressing the button on the wall that summoned a nurse to come and check her over, shoving his phone back in his pocket.

Watching Liv open her eyes was a sight he’d never forget. She was blinking open slowly, taking her time to acknowledge what was going on, eyes gazing around the room before falling upon Aaron, just looking at him, before giving him a soft smile, her eyes shutting for a few seconds before opening them again. Aaron grabbed her hand, reaching down to place a kiss on her forehead, running his other hand through her hair and over her cheek.

“Hey, sleepy head.” He breathed out, letting the biggest grin take over his face. “How you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a bus.” She got out, clearly taking a lot out of her. He smiled, just as he was asked to wait outside, not even realising the doctor and nurse had entered the room, ready to check her over. He gave her one last smile before leaving, sitting on the floor outside, feeling the most relieved he’d ever felt in his life.

“What are you doing out here? Is everything okay?” Robert’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, looking up at the older man who had dropped beside him, handing over a coffee and a cheese sandwich.

“She woke up, they’re just checking her over, but she’s awake. My baby sister is awake.” And that’s when Robert let the tears fall. Aaron smiling, wiping them away with his thumb, grateful for how much his husband cared. How he’d taken Liv in like she was his own, never looking back, always being there for her, always answering the call if something was wrong, becoming a fatherly figure, something she hadn’t had for years. Aaron put his arm around Robert’s shoulders, allowing his husband to lean his head against his shoulder, waiting for the tears to stop, sipping on the coffee in their hands, smiles making their way across their faces, and their heart’s beating again. Liv’s door opened, the doctor and the nurse making their way out, forcing the boy’s to stand up and give them their gratitude, thanking them for saving not only Liv’s life, but theirs. Letting the staff reassure them that she was doing okay, watching them disappear down the corridor, smiling at each other.

“After you, Mr Dingle.” Aaron jokingly announced, finding peace in Robert’s soft laugh as he pushed the door open, stepping inside, allowing the door fall shut behind them.

“What are we going to do with you, eh?” Robert joked, sitting on the edge of her bed, reaching for her hand, letting her relax against the pillows, watching a small smile creep upon her face, actually finding comfort in the soft shrug she gave, when he was used to feeling annoyed by it, never wanting her to keep things to herself ever again. Aaron joined the pair, sitting back in the chair next to the bed, a smile never leaving his face, a toothy grin appearing when Robert bent down and pressed his lips to the stitches on Liv’s forehead, her eyes shutting for a second, like he was kissing them better. He’s such a parent, Aaron thought.

“What were you doing out in Hotten, alone?” Robert asked, reminding her not to shrug, watching her open her eyes, waiting for her to be honest.

“I don’t know, I just kept walking.” She mumbled, her fingers playing with the thread coming off the blanket that had been placed over her the night before.

“We read a text that came through on your phone, saying you’d slept with someone named Tyler? Then when the paramedic asked, you weren’t sure if you wanted it. How did that even come about? Who even is this guy?” Aaron asked as softly as he could, anger still visible in his voice.

“I was in the dodgy end of town, he was cat calling me, and I started off ignoring him, but I just let him drag me to his flat. I don’t know why I did it, I just did. Then he kicked me out. Must’ve left my jacket there.”

“Do you know how dangerous that is, Liv? Anything could’ve happened.” Robert asked, his fatherly voice appearing, standing up from his place on her bed, taking the seat beside it, opposite Aaron, watching her turn her head to look at him, nodding.

“Then why do it?” Aaron’s voice cut in, forcing her to turn away from Robert to look at her brother.

“I don’t know. Because I could, I guess. Because it was easy.” She whispered, tears glazing over her eyes, Aaron already reaching across with his thumb, wiping the one’s away that had dared to fall. She was reckless, there was no denying it. But it’s almost like she didn’t care about herself anymore, didn’t truly care what happened to her. 

“And what about the fight? The police have got someone in custody, they reckon around 15 people were involved.” Her brother pushed further.

“I saw a group of people up ahead, and remembered what Chas had told me about the pub, and as I walked past, this old man turned me around, asked me what a pretty girl like me was doing out on my own. And next thing I know, he’s punching me, I just collapsed. He started kicking me, so I guess everyone decided to join in.” She spoke, glancing over at Robert who looked like he was about to murder someone, her brother clearly willing to help. “It stopped hurting after a while.” She tried to reassure them, failing.

“If we hadn’t of found you in the time we did, Liv, you could’ve literally died.” Robert told her.

“I wouldn’t have minded.” She breathed out, allowing her eyes to shut for a second, letting her hands run over her hair.

Aaron and Robert looking over at each other, shocked by the statement that had come from their sister’s mouth. She didn’t care if she’d died or not, and if that didn’t confirm their theory about how reckless she was, they didn’t know what would. She literally couldn’t care less about herself, didn’t care what happened to her, didn’t care where she ended up, or with who. Just tested her luck, whilst testing Aaron and Robert’s patience.

Suddenly, the door swung open, a nurse stepping into the room, introducing herself as ‘Anne’ as she shut the door behind her, causing Liv to open her eyes, looking the woman up and down.

“I’m an on scene psychologist, and I was wondering if I could have a quick chat with Liv about last night.” She directed it at Aaron who nodded, taking the hint of the nurse wanting him and Robert to leave the room.

Once they were outside, they slid down the wall again, talking through everything Liv had said, trying to find hope in anything she said, but coming up empty.

“What do we do, Robert?” Aaron cried, looking up at his husband.

“I don’t know.”

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They’d been sat outside Liv’s room for over an hour now, growing impatient with the situation, jumping up immediately when the door swung open, Anne stepping out.

“Can I speak to you two about Liv’s wellbeing, and where we can go from here?” She asked gently, watching them nod, before allowing them to follow her into a private room, near where they’d been waiting 12 hours previously. 

Anne shut the door, switching on the lights, turning over the vacant sign, to allow people the knowledge of knowing they couldn’t enter. Aaron and Robert made themselves comfortable into a pair of chairs, that didn’t match, removing magazines from the seats that went out of date in 2005. Rolling their eyes at the old magazine, they placed them on the coffee table between them, waiting for Anne to sit, watching as she did, before opening a folder in her lap, paper scribbled with notes from her chat with Liv.

“When was the last time either of you saw Liv eat something?” That was not a question they were expecting. Liv stuffed her face all the time, with anything she could find, but that had stopped along the line, neither of them thinking anything of it. But thinking about it, Aaron truly couldn’t remember the last time Liv had put something in her mouth. Whenever he and Robert returned home from the scrapyard and began cooking dinner, she reassured them she’d already eaten, hungry from when she got home from school. Whenever they had a meal in the pub, she wasn’t hungry, just sipped on some water. And breakfast? She was always too late for school, not having time. Aaron looked over at his husband, who was clearly having the same conversation with himself, before realising his husband’s eyes were on him, both shrugging in unison, explaining they hadn’t seen her eat in a long time, guilt washing over them, wondering how neither of them had noticed.

“Liv has been neglecting herself, and talking with her for the time I did, I think it stems back from being neglected as a child.”

Aaron and Robert’s hearts were breaking. Liv never spoke about her childhood, from the time her brother left, to the time they were reunited. They never asked, she never told, anything could’ve happened, and neither of them knew. She was incredibly independent, knew how to do a lot from a young age, but it had never forced them to put two and two together.

“She’s not eaten properly in a long time, she’s developed anaemia which we can put her on ion tablets for, but I am very concerned for her mental health. She’s lacking in self-respect, discussing last night, she truly didn’t care what happened to her, she just wants to die, so I will send off an urgent referral for CAMHS, get her talking to someone, and I also want to start her up on a course of antidepressants. We can start off with a low dose of Fluoxetine and work our way up from here.”

It was like a punch in the face, how had they been so oblivious to how Liv was feeling? How hadn’t they noticed? They’d just let it go over their heads, feeling guilty for the tears falling from their eyes when they could’ve put a stop to this months ago.

“In terms of her eating, I think its best we take some time out of school, focus on getting her healthy again, and keep pushing her to eat. And when speaking to people like you, if she refuses to eat, it is okay to force feed her, just make sure it’s safe, and make sure it’s your last resort. Okay?”

They both nodded, watching her stand up, thanking them for their time, and wishing Liv a steady recovery. Once the door was shut behind her, Aaron and Robert stood up, wrapping their arms around each other, as tight as they could, letting the words of Anne sink in. Taking in the fact that Liv’s mental health had gone down the drain months ago, and they’d be completely oblivious, believing every lie she told, never pushing her to talk about her feelings, she just sat and listened to theirs. 

Hand in hand, they left the room, making their way back to Liv, who was sat up, flicking through a magazine left on the table beside her bed, a smile appearing on her face when her brother’s walked in, a doctor making his way in behind them, announcing that he was getting her discharge forms, handing Aaron a few prescriptions of medication for Liv, the doctor patting his shoulder gently, leaving with a smile, letting Liv’s smile become a bit bigger.

“Right then, trouble, let’s get you home.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter for those who wanted it!

She was struggling to walk, struggling to breathe, struggling in general. As soon as the doctor had handed in Liv’s discharge forms, Aaron and Robert were desperate to get Liv home. However, they never thought they’d get home by how hard it was to help her out of the bed. She was weak, and tired, and breaking right in front of them. She was clinging onto Aaron for dear life, watching Robert pull her shoes onto her feet, before he grabbed her clothes from the day before, leading the way to the exit of the hospital.

Aaron had wrapped his jacket around her, arm around her shoulders, taking her weight as he helped her walk, smiling at Robert who took one look at his sister, suggesting he bring the car round. Liv hated it. Hated how there was no trust left, no hope, no independence. Just had to live with hanging onto Aaron, hoping she wouldn’t fall in front of all these people, eyeing the two, making her feel uncomfortable. She knew Aaron didn’t mind at all, desperate to look after his sister, finally understanding her, but she couldn’t stand it. She felt helpless. Finding it tough not being able to do things for herself, and this was only the beginning. The doctors had stressed she was on a long road to recovery, but she wished there was some way of holding onto her pride.

She spotted the familiar car pull up outside, Aaron already helping her towards it, Robert hopping out the driver’s seat, reaching to pull open the back door, letting her fall against the seats, Aaron even plugging seatbelt in for her, like she was a child, before making his way to the passenger seat, letting his husband speed away quickly, desperate to get back home.

Liv rested her head against the window, glancing out at the world going on around her, thinking about the lives each person lead, wondering if anyone knew what she was going through, or worse, going through it themselves. Everyone seemed so happy, people busying themselves in the spring sunshine. Families having picnics, smiles across their faces, not a care in the world. Liv wished for that. Wished for the world to exist around her, instead of just becoming a hurricane, tearing apart anything she had. Every emotion, every person, every feeling. She wrecked everything, tore people apart, watched people suffer, why did she deserve to live when there were so many incredible people dying? Why did they have to save her?

Aaron glanced behind at his sister, watching her eyes focus on the world they were passing, heart breaking at the conflict she was clearly having with herself. Robert saw him looking, eyes looking in the rear view mirror, glancing at the teen, wishing he could take away the pain she was suffering, wishing he could give her the life she dreamed of. Eyes looking back at the road, he rested his hand on Aaron’s thigh, giving him a quick smile, happy they were on the route home, and on the route to recovery.

They drove up through the village, towards the mill, Chas glancing up at the car as it passed where she was picking up empty glasses on the tables outside the pub, giving them a quick wave before heading back inside. 

Pulling up to the driveway of their home, Liv sighed from the backseats, causing the boys to turn around and look at her, sympathetic looks appearing on their faces.

“Come on you, let’s get you comfy on the sofa.” Aaron spoke softly, watching her shrug as he undid his seatbelt, whilst she undid hers, Robert already out of the car, unlocking the front door. She watched Aaron make his way round to her door, opening it, reaching in to help her out, wanting nothing more than to bundle her up in his arms, and just carry her in, but he could see how much that would damage her pride, so instead, helped her steady her feet on the stones, arm around her shoulders, the other reaching for her other arm across her, steadying her from the front and the back. And together, they made their way to the front door of the mill.

Aaron helped her relax against the cushions of the sofa, before pulling the blanket off the back of it, tucking it around her, handing her the TV remote, as Robert placed a glass of water on the table in front of her. Liv hated it, all this fuss, like she was incapable of doing anything, like she was a china doll where every touch would break her. Having her independence taken away from her was probably the hardest thing she’d have to face whilst getting better, relying on everyone else to not give up on her, praying they’d help her. She decided to shut her eyes, block out the entire situation, letting sleep take over, letting her relax.

From the table, Robert was already looking up Fluoxetine on his laptop, a common antidepressant given to adolescences. Starting on a small liquid dose, before upping it to a tablet once a day, taking up to 6 weeks to properly get in your system, cursing under his breath about how long it would take.

“I’ll go and pick these up from the chemist.” Aaron’s voice distracting him, looking up at his husband who was waving the green prescriptions in his hand, a small nod as he walked out the front door, glancing at the sleeping teen before he left.

As Aaron began walking down the village towards the chemist, Chas stopped him outside the pub where she was still cleaning up the mother’s day celebrations. Wrapping her arms tightly around her son, when she felt tears fall upon her blouse, causing her to pull him even tighter towards her. Reassuring whispers in his ear, reminding him everything would be okay, after pulling back an asking properly how Liv was, watching him wipe the tears from his eyes.

“They say she’s neglected herself, which they think stems from being neglected as a child.” He croaked out, his mum’s face filling with confusion.

“Almost feel responsible, like it was my fault. I left her there with abusive parents, if I’d taken her with me, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”

“None of this is your fault, Aaron. You had to do what was right for you at the time, getting away from Gordon was what was right for you. Sometimes you have to be selfish and think of yourself, but Liv didn’t know any different, you can’t blame yourself for the behaviour of her parents, okay?” She was right, but it didn’t stop him hurting.

“They’ve put her on an antidepressant, and she’s developed anaemia from where she hasn’t been eating.”

“What do you mean, she hasn’t been eating?”

“Good at hiding it I guess. I should’ve seen straight through her but I didn’t. No one picked up on it, so god knows what else she’s been hiding. I’m just off to the chemist to get some ion tablets and the fluoxetine. I just pray it works, because right now, she can’t even walk unaccompanied.” Tears were filling up his eyes again, heart breaking, wishing he could just turn back time and stopped her before it got this far. “She went out last night not even caring about herself, told Robert and I that we should’ve just left her there to die, that she wouldn’t have minded.”

Chas had tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She’d been through this with Aaron, remembering the pain she felt watching him so wrapped up in his desperation to end his life. She never wanted anyone to feel the way he did, the way she did. But history was repeating itself in front of her, seeing Aaron broken over the fear of losing his little sister, only caused her to pull him to her again, holding him tight, sobbing gently into his shoulder, reassuring him that she was there if he ever needed anything. Pulling away, she glanced at him, wiping his tears away, whilst he wiped hers, little laughs escaping, and mumblings of ‘look at the pair of us’, trying to keep everything light hearted and hopeful.

“I better get off, I’ll ring you in a bit, yeah?” Aaron asked, smiling as his mum nodded.

“Give her the biggest cuddle from me, okay?” Of course he would. “I’ll come over and see her at some point.” And with that, the mother and son went their separate ways, wiping away the few stray tears still daring to fall.

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When Aaron walked through the front door of this mill, his heart fluttered at the sight before him. Liv was still asleep on the sofa, but Robert was crouched down in front of her, stroking her hair back and tucking it behind her ear, leaving a kiss on her forehead, glancing up at Aaron with a sad smile, standing up to greet him, taking the prescription bags off of him, placing them into the kitchen cupboard.

“The chemist told me to start her on the antidepressant as soon as possible but I don’t have the heart to wake her.” Aaron sighed, gazing at his sister’s sleeping form on the couch, heart breaking at the sight of her.

“I’ve got to quickly drop some of this paperwork down to the scrapyard. I’ll only be gone 5 minutes, okay?” Robert asked, sliding his jacket on, brief case in one hand, the other reaching towards Aaron’s face, placing a soft kiss on his lips, watching his husband nod gently, eyes following him as he left the house. 

Aaron refused to cry, refused to display any sign of weakness in front of Liv. Wanted to remain hopeful for the sake of her, a lighthouse, ready to guide her to safety if the waters got rough. A beacon of light to help her through her darkest nights, arms ready to wrap around her and keep her safe from whatever demons threatened to tear her apart. A hand to hold when she lost her way, someone to carry her home. He was ready to become her therapist, her friend, her psychic, her carer, and her brother all rolled into one. Ready to stand by her side as she takes on the world, and to become her biggest cheerleading, watching proudly from the side lines.

He made his way over to the cupboard that Robert had placed the prescriptions in, reaching for the bottle of fluoxetine, thankful it came with a measuring spoon, making his way over to the couch, placing it on the table, before kneeling in front of her just like her husband had a few minutes prior. Aaron placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder, shaking her gently so she opened her eyes, smiling at the familiar sight of him.

“I’ve got to give you some of this medicine, okay?” She nodded, sitting herself up gently, batting away Aaron’s helping hands, determined to do this on her own. He poured the clear liquid onto the spoon, holding it to her mouth as she swallowed, before handing her the glass of water already on the table, watching her swallow it, placing the lid back on the bottle, resting it with the spoon on the coffee table.

“What do you want to eat?” He asked softly, frowning when she said she wasn’t hungry, handing him the water to place back on the table. “Liv, you have to eat something. What about some soup? I’ve got a tin in the cupboard.” He ignored her defensive replies, and cooked it anyway, smiling as Robert made his way through the front door, pressing a kiss to Liv’s forehead as he made his way into the kitchen to join his husband at the stove, encircling his arms around Aaron’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder, watching his husband stir the soup absentmindedly. 

“I didn’t know you could actually cook, Mr Sugden.” Robert joked, smiling at the soft, genuine laugh that escaped his husband’s lips.

“All I did was pour a tin of tomato soup into a pan, can’t be that hard can it?”

They both appreciated simple moments like this. Like the rest of the world didn’t matter, that it was just the two of them, loving each other, raising a teenage girl, in the home of their dreams. Simply just happy with each other’s company. Simple things, like watching Aaron grab a ladle, and spoon the soup into a bowl, made Robert’s heart happy, and appreciate finding his way back home to the man he loved.

He followed Aaron over to the sofa where Liv was sat, handing her the bowl of soup, both perched on the coffee table watching her with soppy grins.

“What?” She groaned, clearly annoyed.

“You know we love you.” Robert reminded her, smiling, Aaron kissing his cheek, watching her scrunch her nose up in disgust, making them giggle. “And we’re going to look after you, and get you through this.” He reassured, she just nodded, bowl of soup in her hands, still untouched, just staring at it, wishing it was gone.

“Liv, you’ve got to eat.” Aaron spoke, watching her shoulders shrug.

“I told you, I’m not hungry.” She reminded him, confusing eyes glancing at her brother as he took the bowl from her hands, getting some soup on the spoon, holding it to her mouth. “I’m not 3 years old Aaron, I can feed myself.” She groaned, no jokiness in neither his face nor Robert’s.

“Well clearly not, considering you’ve not picked that spoon up once, or eaten anything in months, so I’m not leaving until you’ve eaten at least half, and if I have to force feed you, that’s what I’ll do.” He raised his voice a little, raising his eyebrows at her, watching as she opened her mouth, letting him pour the soup down her throat. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He joked, recognising the anger in her eyes as he scooped up some more, pressing it to her lips, waiting for her to open her mouth, which she didn’t. 

Robert stood up, moved behind her, placing his hands on her cheeks, pestering her to open her mouth, trying to make it a game, rather than him coming off as concerned, letting her laugh at him, her mouth open to get him to stop, Aaron taking his chance and feeding her more. Her annoyed face was enough to make them chuckle, ready to force her again if necessary, but smiling as she grabbed the bowl off Aaron, desperate to save her pride, eyes never moving from her swallowing mouthfuls until she was done. The boy’s found something as simple as that was a weird thing to be proud of, but it was all about small steps, letting her relax again, watching her eyes shut, clearly fed up of the sight of them.

It wasn’t long until she was asleep again, Aaron and Robert smiling fondly at her, glad that Liv was coming back to them slowly, determined to never let her down again, and with a kiss to each other’s lips, they sealed that promise within them.


End file.
